Edmonds School District, union agree to tentative deal

Aug 02, 2018

The Edmonds School District and the Edmonds Education Association have reached a tentative deal on a new teachers’ salary contract.

“It's a good deal for education, teachers, students and the community,” said Edmonds Education Association President Andi Nofziger-Meadows. “It makes Edmonds a leader in compensation for our region. It will help with attracting the best educators.”

Edmonds School District spokeswoman Kelly Franson confirmed the tentative agreement, which is expected to be ratified Aug. 28 when the union holds its annual membership meeting.

The increase in salary is largely due to funds made available as a result of the McCleary school-funding decision, which determined the state was not fulfilling its constitutional requirement to fund basic education for all students, including compensation for basic-education teachers.

Starting pay for first-year teachers would be about $63,000. Veteran instructor salaries will cap at $114,000.

The district and union are working under a three-year contract ratified by the union Aug. 29, 2017, and the district the next day.

That contract focused mostly on student benefits, according to Nofziger-Meadows. It did, however, give certified employees – teachers and administrators – a 2.3 percent cost-of-living increase from the state and an additional $40 per month toward insurance premiums.